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Pentagon grounds global fleet of F-35s after fighter jet crash

US, the UK and Israel to carry out a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube within the engine of the F-35 aircraft.
The US Department of Defence grounded its global fleet of F-35 stealth
fighters on Thursday as a result of the first-ever crash of the
costliest plane in history.

A Marine Corps F-35B was completely destroyed in a crash during training
in South Carolina on September 28. The pilot safely ejected.

According to Joe DellaVedova, a spokesperson for the F-35 programme, the
US and its international partners - including the UK and Israel - have
temporarily suspended F-35 flight operations for a fleet-wide inspection
of a fuel tube within the aircraft engine.
WATCH: US grounds F-35 fighter fleet (1:38)

"The action to perform the inspection is driven from initial data from
the ongoing investigation of the F-35B that crashed in the vicinity of
Beaufort, South Carolina," DellaVedova said in a statement.

He added that suspect fuel tubes would be removed and replaced.

Planes that are found to have good tubes already installed will be returned to operational status.

Inspections were expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours.

The United Kingdom, however, said the measure did not affect all of its
F-35s and that some flying missions had been "paused," not grounded.

"Safety is our paramount concern, therefore the UK has decided to pause
some F-35 flying as a precautionary measure while we consider the
findings of an ongoing inquiry," a British Ministry of Defence spokesman
said.

"F-35 flight trials from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth are
continuing and the programme remains on schedule to provide our armed
forces with a game-changing capability."
Most expensive weapons system

The South Carolina crash came only one day after the US military first
used the F-35 in combat, with Marine Corps fighters hitting Taliban
targets in Afghanistan.

"The primary goal following any mishap is the prevention of future incidents," DellaVedova said.

"We will take every measure to ensure safe operations while we deliver, sustain and modernize the F-35."

On Wednesday, Defense News reported that Secretary of Defense James
Mattis had ordered the Air Force and Navy to make 80 percent of the
fleet of key fighters, including the F-35, mission capable within a
year.

The order sent ripples through the halls of the Pentagon, where
officials have long bemoaned the general lack of readiness for key
equipment.

Launched in the early 1990s, the F-35 programme is considered the most
expensive weapons system in US history, with an estimated cost of some
$400bn and a goal to produce 2,500 aircraft in the coming years.

Once servicing and maintenance costs for the F-35 are factored in over
the aircraft's lifespan through 2070, overall programme costs are
expected to rise to $1.5tr.